We had Mother over for dinner this evening. Always a pleasure. The Schlitzhagen and the blueberry pie were both very good. Jim and I took her home at about 7:00PM. As it turned out, we picked a good time. There is a freezing rain out there and by the time we got to her house it was quite slick. I was glad that Jim was there to help Mother, because she needed help getting into the house.

Since we are home, Jim has been listening to the scanner and reporting every so often on salt trucks that are stuck out there at the bottom of hills unable to even get back to the lot. A warm spell is supposed to be coming in over night so we should be able to walk and drive by morning. It is good to be safe and secure on a night like this.

Just a note to usher in the New Year. Helen Keller said, "No effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost."

Pray for the living in the Tsumami area. Bless the rescuers and speed them on their mission of hope and relief.

Love

Mary

I am trying to post early because it is New Year's Eve and I want to post a picture of the duplicate ball that drops on New Year's Eve in Time's Square. When Bart and Barb and I were in Ireland, we went on a tour of the Waterford Factory, they keep duplicates of everything they make and have that duplicate on display and lighted. It is really a beautiful thing.



One last note on Reggie White. In the glory years, the year of the Superbowl win in 1997, I was still working, of course, and we had a holiday party after Christmas at a hotel, I believe in Appleton. We all came in Packer Gear. I had to buy something because I had nothing. I ended up with a Reggie 92 Jersey. I wore green jeans, a gold turtleneck and the Jersey and won a really nice Packer throw, because "everybody was mistaking me for Reggie." Still have the throw. It is in the den with all the other Packer stuff, such as the Packer Care Bear and Packer troll to bring us luck during the games.

Sunday is the last regular game. Then the playoffs.

Happy New Year.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!


Mary

Dick had his appointment to have his blood checked today and it is finally back within the parameters that they want it. For the first year, after they discovered the irregular heartbeat, we had the count just perfect and then about 6 weeks ago it went just a teensy bit high. Sue, the nurse in charge, adjusted the medicine dose and we are now perfect again. Nice to end the year that way.

One more day left in 2004. The death count in Asia keeps climbing and climbing. I keep praying and we sent a bit in care of the Red Cross to hopefully help a bit. The numbers are staggering.

Reggie White was buried today. How sad for his family. His children are still so young, a daughter in high school. I am glad that I have my Reggie 92 Jersey. The last regular Packer game is against Chicago, Sunday. They have already cinched a playoff seat so it really doesn't matter but we had BETTER beat Chicago. We lost the first game with them and they are really BAD this year. People say that Bret should not play to "save" him for the playoffs. I found it interesting that he said that he does not understand "saving" people who are healthy and doing well for a later game. He does love to play football.

Gloria Vanderbilt said "Have great, secret, big, fat hopes for yourself."

Sounds good to me. You must all do that.

Love

Mary

Lunch with my classmates was so nice. There were 10 of us at the Firehouse, including two spouses. Lorraine Schmitt Schaap, Bob Guse, Diana Brown Jurista, Nancy Gallagher Roehre, Ken and Barb Richter, Joe and Sharon Ehren, Elaine Evanoff and me. Not too bad on three days notice. The Firehouse is always a good place to go. The food is tasty and the atmosphere is pleasant.

After lunch, I stopped at Mother's for just a few minutes. The guys have started the work necessary to intall the washer/dryer we got for her.

I am very tired tonight so this will be short. Only two more days left in 2005. We are spending a quiet evening here at home. We invited Mother for dinner on New Years Day. I am fixing Schlitzhagen with mashed potatoes. I need to decide what to have for dessert.

Did I ever tell you the Schlitzhagen story? Years ago, Dad was a good friend of a man named Fitzpatrick, who owned Fitz's Tavern on Broadway in Sheboygan Falls. They had a bowling alley in the basement and served dinners. Their chicken dinners were very good I guess. Anyway, Fitz asked Dad if he had any use for chicken broth. They preboiled their chicken for the dinners they served and had buckets of the stuff that was otherwise just tossed. Dad would occasionally bring a bucket home and Mother became very inventive.

One of the recipes was Schlitzhagen. She would mix up a meatloaf mixture, roll it into meatballs, flour and brown the meatballs and drop into the hot chicken broth and cook til the meatballs were cooked through. It is just great over mashed potatoes or noodles. We called it Schlitzhagen. Schlitz because the broth came from a bar and Hagen because we liked the sound of it.

Have a nice Thursday.

Love

Mary

Dick commented today that my haircut and my chiropractic appointment cost exactly the same. I did both today.

The weather was comfortable - in the mid 20s and not at all windy. Chelsea and I both enjoyed our walk this morning. The little vixen talked Jim into taking her out at 5:15AM then woke me up acting pathetic at 5:55AM. What a faker.

Tomorrow, I am going to have lunch with some friends. I got an e-mail from Diana Brown Jurista, a gal that I graduated from eighth grade with. We also both were in the group of young girls who all went to the School Sisters of St. Francis Convent in St. Francis WI right out of grade school. Actually 13 girls from Sheboygan Falls went to the convent in a three year period. None of us are still there. Sister Rosanne was our religious education teacher while we were very young. We all admired her so much that we literally migrated to the sisterhood. At that time, they let girls come as Freshmen in high school. After a year our two we found that we were not suited for the life after all. At least that was my experience. We were much too young and eventually, they realized this.

Anyway, Diana is visiting tomorrow and wondered if we could get together.

Lorraine, another classmate, and myself, contacted all of the members of the 8th grade class that we could and there will be at least five or six of us there. Not bad on such short notice. We were the first to graduate from St. Mary's Catholic Grade School 50 years ago.

Friends after all these years. Pretty special.

I read something in a catalog that I think is funny.

If it has tires or testicles, it's gonna give you trouble.


Enjoy

Mary

What a Sunday. First the news of the tsunami in Asia. Death tolls are still rising. I e-mailed Fr. Mike Shea, my cousin, who has a mission in Thailand. First, I checked the location of his school and orphanage in relationship to the west coast and found that the mission is far north and east. He sent a blanket message to us and I know that they are OK but that the death and devastation is awful. I am so relieved that he and the 0ver 100 children he has under his care are OK.

Then the word came that Reggie White, the retired Packer #92, died suddenly at the age of only 43. What a shock. He helped lead the Packers to the Super Bowl in 1997. I always admired him. Some of his ideas were a bit odd, but he was a sincere Christian, who became a practicing minister and wore his faith proudly.

My fondest memory is the following. During those glory Super Bowl years, our grandkids, Sara and Nora went up to Green Bay with the Recreation Department to watch a practice. At that time, they were probably 6 and 8. Nora was a teeny little blond thing and Reggie at 6' 5" , 304 pounds must have looked like a true giant next to her. Anyway when they came back, Nora was wide eyed with wonder and told us in a trembling, awe struck voice. "Reggie White touched my hand."

I am going to try a picture again.



Have a good Tuesday and let me know if you see the picture.

Mary

It was kind of warm today, all the way up to 22 degrees. WOW. We had a dusting of snow too and Chelsea was in her glory. She kept thinking of excuses to go out so she could roll in the snow.

Church was nice this morning. It was the feast of the Holy Family and Fr. Gene talked on the value of our families. We need to be sure to let our children AND the other members of our family circle know how we value them.

We had a nice visit with Dick and Brenda before they headed back to Madison.

The rest of the day was just laid back and goofing off. I rested and did a bit of sewing and puttered on the computer. Tomorrow is soon enough to get back on the fast track.

There was an announcement at Mass this morning that there is a desperate need for bedding, so I went through our closets and found a couple of blankets and quilts and sheets and pillowcases that we have not used in years and probably never will. So, Dick and I will drop them off at the church tomorrow. I shudder at the thought of anybody being cold when we have so much.

I understand that pictures have not been coming through recently. Jim just fixed it and tomorrow will be the BIG test. Look forward to a picture tomorrow. I am just too tired tonight.

Only five more days til the New Year.

Love

Mary